Knee decisions — 2006

The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records from private physicians and VA facilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing medical records and requests for surgery on the veteran's knees. The claim will be reconsidered after these records are obtained.

The veteran's claims for service connection for chronic costochondritis, prostatitis, a left knee disability, and a dental disability are denied. The veteran's claim for service connection for Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome is granted. His claim for service connection for chronic urinary tract infections is granted. His claim for increased initial rating for post-traumatic headaches is denied. His claim for increased initial rating for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is granted. His claim for a compensable rating for chronic rhinitis is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right arm, right elbow, right hand, bilateral knees, and lower back disorders due to a lack of competent medical evidence relating these conditions to service.

The Board has denied service connection for all the claimed conditions, including alkaptonuria, aortic valve replacement, hyperlipidemia, glaucoma, right knee and hip replacements, and arthritis/chrondrocalcinosis, as they are not among the diseases listed in 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(d) for which presumptive service connection can be granted due to radiation exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee medial meniscal tear, mild degenerative arthritis of the left knee, and scarring of the left knee and thigh. The veteran's back disabilities are rated at 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have degenerative joint disease of the left knee attributable to his period of active military service, including any injury coincident therewith. As a result, the claim for service connection is denied.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected right knee disability, as the medical evidence did not show that it met or approximated the criteria for a higher rating.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right knee disabilities and any left knee disability. The claims will be readjudicated after this development.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development of his claims, including obtaining recent VA treatment records and providing VCAA notice.

The Board has decided to remand the case for a new VA examination to assess the severity of the veteran's right knee disability, including consideration of functional loss due to pain and other DeLuca factors. The effective date is not addressed in this decision.

The veteran's appeal is being returned to the RO for additional development due to missing medical records and failure to report for VA examinations. The claims are not yet decided.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for left foot cold injury residuals due to new evidence. However, there is no current disability of the left foot that can be attributed to a cold injury in service. Service connection for arthritis of both knees is not warranted as it was not shown during service or within one year post-service and is not related to service.

The Board denied reopening the veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disorder in August 1999, finding no new and material evidence to support it.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hip and knee disorders as secondary to the veteran's service-connected pes planus. Service connection for low back pain is denied.

The veteran's right knee disability is rated at 40 percent, and service connection for his low back disorder due to aggravation of a pre-existing condition by the service-connected knee disorder is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to new evidence submitted by the veteran.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his cervical spine, left knee, and right knee disabilities.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues on appeal, including service connection claims and evaluations.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including headaches, left knee disorder, right heel disorder, left hip disorder, dizziness or fainting spells, eye disorder, ear disorder, respiratory disorder, heart disorder, leg cramps, weight gain and loss, foot disorder, and psychiatric disorders. The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to active service for any of these conditions.